Playing FFVII again...

[Olrod]

Having downloaded it from the store last week, I've been playing Final Fantasy VII on my PS3 pretty much non stop.

Sure, the graphics are, well, dated, to put it mildly, but after getting engrossed in it once again I barely even notice anymore.

Racked up 35 hours, and just about to re-enter Midgar to stop Hojo from firing the Sister Ray, after defeating Diamond WEAPON.

Does anyone else still play FFVII?

 

[DrDomVonDoom]

Whats funny is that yesterday me and my friend just started playing FF7 through. He is at the controls and I'm on my iPad basically navigating him through. We want to get as close to a 100% possible.

 

[Luca72]

Played it again last year, and found it still holds up. Combat is balls, but at least it offers a lot of customization.

Something I noticed is that the moment to moment writing (dialogue, the way ideas are presented, pacing) isn't necessarily that good - it may be due to translation errors, but somehow it feels off. But the story being told is so heart-felt and sincere that it doesn't matter. Everything is unrealistic and simplified, but it seems intentional. Like a fairy tale. It always bugs me when someone says something like "Yeah, I liked FFVII, Cloud was totally badass". Like they were missing the point. FFVII never felt try-hard or cliched. It was written by a guy suffering from a huge loss in his life and asking questions we're usually afraid of - what happens when we die? Might we eventually kill our own planet? If the planet could choose, would it consider us worth saving?

FFVII is full of flaws, but it tells one of the most beautiful stories I've ever seen in any medium.

 

[Savagezion]

Not FFVII (although I really like it, it has been around 8 years since I last played it) However, I played FFVIII again about 3 years ago. The great things about FVII was never the story IMO but moreso the scenes, if that makes sense. Of course, the gameplay. Materia was the best system IMO. It could really use an HD remake where they actually go in and update the models and textures to a higher resolution. I would buy it.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

I know this is gonna sound, I dunno trollish, but I just can't get into ff7 or ff8
I believe the reason for this I think look back on it having attempted both games is the fixed camera angle plus old graphics make navigation hard.
I booted up my saves quite recently to give them another crack and I have no idea where to go.
On ff7 I'm in the breaking into a buolding where you have to run between pillars so guards don't spot you and have no idea where to go on upper levels
On ff8 I'm in a town with a tv blimp thing, and yet again not a clue where to go.
Here's my thinking, I am simply walking past exits and missing them cus of the older graphics
THIS is why I'd like a HD remake, so I can play what is otherwise a good game

Side note not a ff hater, have completed ff1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 13-2, dimensions and most of the way through 10

 

[ShinyCharizard]

I've still got my original PS1 copy. I like to play through it once a year or so. One of my all time favourite games.

 

[Fractral]

I love how people say Cloud is a angsty jerk when he is a wise cracker in the game (he is an angsty jerk in the movies only)

I played FFVII having only watched Advent Children, and I was pleasantly surprised by his attitude. After you meet Aerith, of course. Before that he is a bit of a jerk.
Anyhow, I played it for the first time a year or so ago. I remember getting to the motorbike chase and sitting staring at the screen, totally gobsmacked. Pretty good game, but like most JRPG's it now suffers in my estimation as a result of not being SMT.

 

[Atmos Duality]

I do occasionally break out the old series and play them again for perspective, though I haven't touched the PS era Final Fantasies (apart from FFT) since 2011, where I did full playthroughs of them to analyze them from the perspective of someone other than a teenager.

Some things hold up (Cloud's identity crisis especially), others don't (the entirety of FF8; a good deal of FF9 annoyed me).

Something I noticed is that the moment to moment writing (dialogue, the way ideas are presented, pacing) isn't necessarily that good - it may be due to translation errors, but somehow it feels off. But the story being told is so heart-felt and sincere that it doesn't matter. Everything is unrealistic and simplified, but it seems intentional. Like a fairy tale. It always bugs me when someone says something like "Yeah, I liked FFVII, Cloud was totally badass". Like they were missing the point. FFVII never felt try-hard or cliched.

Good heavens, someone else who feels the same way about FF7! Now that's a rarity.

There is a simple honesty to FF7's approach that you just don't find in the modern Final Fantasy titles. The modern series' stories are told entirely in bombastic epic; with giant sweeping glamor shots of new environments and fantastic 10 minute long CGI renderings.

Sure, there's overpolish and bombast in FF7; but nowhere near to the same degree as any of its successors.
And playing through it again made me happy to have such a good game in the first place...before Squeenix set out to ruin it for me by turning it into nothing but this awkward exploitative ball of retardation and horrible anime tropes.

 

[FalloutJack]

Having downloaded it from the store last week, I've been playing Final Fantasy VII on my PS3 pretty much non stop.

Sure, the graphics are, well, dated, to put it mildly, but after getting engrossed in it once again I barely even notice anymore.

Racked up 35 hours, and just about to re-enter Midgar to stop Hojo from firing the Sister Ray, after defeating Diamond WEAPON.

Does anyone else still play FFVII?

Naturally, I have my own copy for playatation. I take good care of my games.

 

[EscapeGoat_v1legacy]

I still play the old Final Fantasy games. I picked up Final Fantasy VII off the PSN a couple years ago, first for my PSP and then when I got my PS3 I got to play it on a big screen It is very dated graphically, but I found it doesn't bother me in the slightest. The combat is fine, the story still holds up, the music is always going to be awesome and it's still one of my favourite Final Fantasy games (along with IX and VI).

 

[ItsNotRudy]

I don't know how anyone can stand the combat of FFVII. It's atrocious to say the least.

 

[Fractral]

I love how people say Cloud is a angsty jerk when he is a wise cracker in the game (he is an angsty jerk in the movies only)

I played FFVII having only watched Advent Children, and I was pleasantly surprised by his attitude. After you meet Aerith, of course. Before that he is a bit of a jerk.
Anyhow, I played it for the first time a year or so ago. I remember getting to the motorbike chase and sitting staring at the screen, totally gobsmacked. Pretty good game, but like most JRPG's it now suffers in my estimation as a result of not being SMT.

I dunno, I have different expectations from both series, I am also a huge Megaten nerd! But Final Fantasy is a series I have enjoyed for many years (with Final Fantasy IX being one of my favorite games of all time) and enjoy for different reasons.

Oh and you think the motorbike game was awesome? The snowboarding game was so popular that many players played it at the Gold Saucer until they ran out of gil (they also made a mobile version)

Cloud was a bit of a jerk, but hey, he was a merc who didn't trust his employers (who need I remind you were eco-terrorists) But he noticeably softens up fast around his companions (His BSOD was completely justified later in the story) I dislike his drastic personality change in Advent Children (but he sort of has a right to be pessimistic)

I don't remember ever doing the snowboarding game actually. I think I got bored after doing that weird game where you have to help some moogle. I never went to the gold saucer other than for the story events. Getting Barret as my date was hilarious.
But yeah, it's the combat and choices more than anything else that make me prefer MegaTen as a series, but I'll agree that FFIX is the best game ever. I just wish it had slightly better combat. And Final Fantasy 7 comes close, although it lacks the characters that made 9 so amazing imo.

 

[Maximum Bert]

Havent played VII in a few years now but I have finished it over 10 times and it never gets old for me most RPGs I can only play once or twice but VII is an exception the backdrops still look good now same with the character models in battle while the FMV has dated and the on field models still look exactly the same i.e crap then and crap now.

Its the game that finally overturned my hate of RPGs and since then I have tried many many more of all types and finished all the main installments in the FF series excluding the MMOs and FFXIII-2 (havent had time yet) but VII has never been bettered for me. The characters the battles and the story just do it for me the only other game that comes close character wise for me is Persona 4 while battles have been bested in other games but only by X in the FF games imo.

I actually bought the game 3 times twice on PSX (once when it came out then again when it went platinum) and then again on the PSN.

Last time I played the game I finished it in 20 hours and that wasnt even attempting a speed run i.e I didnt skip text or rush but the first time I played I think it took me about 70 hours ish. I am thinking of doing a speed run and seeing if I can finish it in under 12 hours.

I have also never used Cait Sith or Cid in my party so they will have to be in their next time except I dont really like Cait Sith hes the only one I couldnt really care for.

Its still my favourite game of all time by far nothing has had such an effect on me gamewise it completely changed my views on an entire genre single handedly. It may be overrated I mean after all its just a game at the end of the day but for me its never been bettered as a game I want to experience.

While I dont know everything about the game I can complete it pretty easily now and know where all the enemy skills are etc last time I was seeing if it was possible to beat Emerald and Ruby Weapon without touching the pad I couldnt beat Emerald although I think it probably is possible with more work but its certainly possible with Ruby (and a bit of luck).

I would obviously like a remake of this game but I really dont trust Square Enix not to mess it up especially seeing how they have changed the characters in different games most notably Cloud who just seems to have a different personality in every game hes in and unlike FFVII they are usually very unlikeable.

Oh great glacier sucked ass though I hated that place for so long it was only in my last few play throughs I got it all figured out in my head.

I am not a huge FF fan after playing them all (no not every spin off ever made mostly just the mains and the sequels to mains) I only really liked IV,VI,VII (obv) and X, many others were ok and a few were goddamn awful especially II but thats just my views and I liked how they started to diversify especially after V which managed to keep the series fresh even if it did not always lead to good results.

The dating of the graphics took a while I played it so much for so long that I could actually see it looking more and more dated each time it was pretty weird even the backdrops are starting to crack now but its still just as playable as it always was, unlike Bubble Bobble dammit and I really liked that game too.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

Nah, it's been like three years since I last started a New Game - and I don't think I even finished the run. I'm more of an FF IX guy anyway.

Though I did finish FF VIII again about two years ago, completely this time - with the help of some FAQs though. Seriously, how many people actually figure out the Doomtrain thing without the aid of a guide? Not to mention the PuPu or Obell Lake sidequests. And if memory serves me correctly, FF VII is even worse, with so called "lost forevers" popping up all along the way. Before the internet, I never got stuff like Aeris' strongest weapon (and LIMIT) or the Alexander materia. I still don't know how I managed to get Yuffie and Vincent.

 

[scorptatious]

I consider it my second favorite game in the FF series. (Bet you can't guess which one's my favorite. )

I played the game for the first time a couple of years ago on the PSN, and while I agree that the graphics are a bit dated, I can't help but still be a little charmed by them. Maybe it's due to the fact that the game came out around when I started playing games and most games that came out during that time looked like that. So I guess it made me feel nostalgic.

I do like how there's a lot of customization with the materia system. You can make certain characters however you want. Although I personally like to form my characters based on how they look like they would fight. Cloud would be a paladin kind of fighter with the cover ability, with a bit of healing magic and stuff that makes him a better physical fighter. Aeris would obviously get all the healing materia, ect.

One thing that always bugged me about people who like to bash the game is that they like to call Cloud "emo" and bash on him due to his reactions to things that happened to him. We're talking about guy who had his hometown burned to the ground by his childhood hero, his best friend shot down trying to protect him, his close lady friend murdered right in front of him, and realizing that his entire life may in fact be a fabricated lie. I don't think someone could just shrug any of that off THAT easily. Plus he does move on from all that by the time the end game.

Personally I kind of blame Advent Children for the way Cloud is generally perceived.

So yeah, that's my two cents on the game.

 

[shrekfan246]

I don't know how anyone can stand the combat of FFVII. It's atrocious to say the least.

I don't know how anyone can stand the combat of League of Legends. It's atrocious to say the least.

I don't know how anyone can stand the combat of Fallout: New Vegas. It's atrocious to say the least.

I don't know how anyone can stand the combat of Kirby. It's atrocious to say the least.

I don't . . . etc.

As big a part of the games as combat is, people generally don't play Final Fantasy because of all the scintillating grinding. And it's infinitely more dynamic than Final Fantasy XIII.

I believe the reason for this I think look back on it having attempted both games is the fixed camera angle plus old graphics make navigation hard.
I booted up my saves quite recently to give them another crack and I have no idea where to go.
On ff7 I'm in the breaking into a buolding where you have to run between pillars so guards don't spot you and have no idea where to go on upper levels
On ff8 I'm in a town with a tv blimp thing, and yet again not a clue where to go.

It may not necessarily help with directing you on the actual directions you need to go in, but if you hit Select (or I believe you can customize it if you're using a PSP/Vita) it should pop up with a hand over your character's location and arrows marking places that are actual doors to other rooms.

OT: Yeah, every now and then. I've got it and IX on my Vita, though I've played more of IX since it's my preferred title. Graphics and translation issues aside, I think both games hold up pretty well. And for all of its pixelated character models, I actually think IX still looks pretty damn good.